Student Number : 9905214K - MA research report - School of Dramatic Art - Faculty of Arts / South Africa’s film industry presently has huge, unrealised potential for growth. Currently one of the most vibrant sectors of the local industry is short filmmaking. This research’s main contention is that, for a number of reasons the short form is the most viable form for film-making development to take. The short film’s value as a training tool and essential building block for local film-making is scrutinized. To this end the research incorporates a content and form analysis of selected short films, with special reference made to the modes and economic conditions of production that affect the film industry. To conclude, I take the position that film-making, as a form of artistic and cultural dialogue, has tremendous possibilities for the development of a national identity, the creation and perpetuation of local myths and the fostering of social cohesion. For these reasons the short form is worthy of more concerted institutional support.

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is a viable therapy for end stage heart failure. However, despite clinical success, the ability to compare MCS devices in vitro and perform training scenarios is extremely limited. Comparative studies are limited as different devices cannot be interchanged in a patient due to the surgical nature of implant. Further, training and failure scenarios cannot be performed on patients with devices as this would subject a patient to a failure mode. A need exists for a readily available mock system that can perform comparative testing and training scenarios with MCS devices. Previously, our group has fabricated a well characterized mock circulation system consisting of a SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH) and Donovan Mock Circulation tank (DMC tank). Further, utilizing this system with the TAH operating in reduced output mode, a heart failure model was developed. In the present study, three ventricular assist devices (VADs) were independently attached to the heart failure model to compare device performances over a range of preloads and afterloads. In addition, specific clinical scenarios were created with the system to analyze how VAD-displayed waveforms from the system correlate with clinical scenarios. Finally, each VAD was powered off while attached to the heart failure model to compare fluid flow through the VAD in a pump-failure scenario. We demonstrated that this system can successfully be utilized to compare MCS devices (i.e. ventricular assist devices) and for successful training of patients and clinicians.

explosion in the use of computing and interactive systems of all kinds. This growth has brought with it an awareness among developers of interactive systems about the importance of user centered design and usability. In the Virginia Tech Usability tools lab, efforts are underway to develop tools and processes that assist in usability evaluation. This has led to the development of the User Action Framework (UAF) (Andre et al., 1999), a framework that forms the basis of several usability inspection tools like the Explorer, UPI (Usability Problem Inspector), UPC (Usability Problem Classifier) and the usability problem database. The UAF explorer is the tool in the toolkit, which allows users to explore and learn the structure of the UAF. The framework, in its final stages of development, is based on an interaction cycle derived from Norman's action model (1986). For its acceptance, the user action framework, which is based on human factors and cognitive concepts, needed a training program to make it accessible and understandable to the usability practioners in industry and academia. This thesis addressed the following research activities: (1) Developing a web-based training tool for the User Action Framework explorer and (2) Evaluating a web- based training tool using various formative evaluation techniques and a final summative evaluation to measure effectiveness of the training, transfer of training, knowledge/skill acquisition and reaction to the training. The summative evaluation used a pretest-posttest between subjects experimental design to determine the effectiveness of the training tool with the use of lecture-based training as a control group. The data collection included objective measures of performance and subjective measures through questionnaires and rating scales. The summative evaluation found no significant differences between gain scores on lecture-based training and web-based training under controlled conditions. Opportunities for future research were identified and the training tool is expected to contribute to the efforts of the VT usability tools lab towards educating usability professionals and researchers alike on the usefulness of the User Action Framework and its associated tools. This work also seeks to proliferate the use of web based training methods as a valuable way to train remote learners on such developing frameworks and toolkits. / Master of Science

Generally, it is accepted that small businesses are becoming increasingly important in terms of employment, wealth creation, and the development of innovation in the global economy. Unfortunately, many small businesses fail before reaching maturity, mainly due to inadequate entrepreneurial skills to establish and grow their businesses. It is, therefore, vital to understand the management abilities that are required to enable start-up businesses to survive. This study's main aim is to propose a risk management training tool to assist business start-ups to mitigate their risks. This is expected to allow for increased business start-up success rates. The aim of the proposed risk mitigation tool will be to provide training to allow small business owners to deal with challenges they face. The tool should assist with minimising the risk of failure and therefore support increased growth and survival of small businesses. The research questions aimed at achieving the primary objective deal with: *The typical risks per start-up phase for small businesses *How to mitigate the risk per business start-up phase *How best to teach entrepreneurs to identify and manage business start-up risk per phase. The research was conducted by means of a literature and empirical study. The literature study reviewed business start-up phases, challenges facing start-up businesses, project life cycle phases, critical factors leading to project failure, project risk management, and principles of serious games design. The challenges facing start-up businesses were tested empirically in practice by means of a measurement instrument, and subsequently evaluated. The size of the sample used was 58 entrepreneurs from start-up businesses. The results from this study show a need for improvements in the following skills for start-up owners/managers: risk management skills, entrepreneurial skills, people management skill, business management skill, and financial management skill. This study proposed a tool to teach entrepreneurs to identify and manage start-up risks per phase. The tool is proposed to be a blended model tool. Thus, the tool consists of the workshop part; whereby, the facilitator is face-to-face with the trainee, and post-training application-based support. / MSc (Computer Science), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Generally, it is accepted that small businesses are becoming increasingly important in terms of employment, wealth creation, and the development of innovation in the global economy. Unfortunately, many small businesses fail before reaching maturity, mainly due to inadequate entrepreneurial skills to establish and grow their businesses. It is, therefore, vital to understand the management abilities that are required to enable start-up businesses to survive. This study's main aim is to propose a risk management training tool to assist business start-ups to mitigate their risks. This is expected to allow for increased business start-up success rates. The aim of the proposed risk mitigation tool will be to provide training to allow small business owners to deal with challenges they face. The tool should assist with minimising the risk of failure and therefore support increased growth and survival of small businesses. The research questions aimed at achieving the primary objective deal with: *The typical risks per start-up phase for small businesses *How to mitigate the risk per business start-up phase *How best to teach entrepreneurs to identify and manage business start-up risk per phase. The research was conducted by means of a literature and empirical study. The literature study reviewed business start-up phases, challenges facing start-up businesses, project life cycle phases, critical factors leading to project failure, project risk management, and principles of serious games design. The challenges facing start-up businesses were tested empirically in practice by means of a measurement instrument, and subsequently evaluated. The size of the sample used was 58 entrepreneurs from start-up businesses. The results from this study show a need for improvements in the following skills for start-up owners/managers: risk management skills, entrepreneurial skills, people management skill, business management skill, and financial management skill. This study proposed a tool to teach entrepreneurs to identify and manage start-up risks per phase. The tool is proposed to be a blended model tool. Thus, the tool consists of the workshop part; whereby, the facilitator is face-to-face with the trainee, and post-training application-based support. / MSc (Computer Science), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Machines are designed to be infallible, but what happens if they are suddenly struck by chronic mental decline such as dementia? In this research, a social robot has been transformed into a mild-stage Alzheimer’s patient. The ultimate goal is to use it as a training tool for caregivers and medical students, as well as to raise general awareness for the disease. In particular, the study aimed to identify how to simulate Alzheimer’s with a social robot and what the effects are on its conversation partners. Thanks to its properties, the back-projected robotic head Furhat was the ideal candidate to adopt the role of Max. The sources of inspiration derived from interviews and observations. A Wizard of Oz setup enabled a conversation between the character and the user, who was given the task of asking about the robot’s life. To allow for in-between subject comparisons, the set of 20 participants was a mixture of medical and non- medical students, as well as people who knew someone with dementia closely and those who never met any. The experience was evaluated through pre- and post-interviews along with user observations. The results indicate that the patient simulation was convincing, leading the users to treat the machine as a human being and develop an emotional bond to it. They remained patient in spite of the robot’s symptoms, which affirms its potential for educational use. After all, this project aims to inspire researchers to find solutions in unconventional ways.